Single Mothers in China Move Out of the Shadows

Lamanda(Michelle) Reid/ April 17,2008/ 10:10a.m./poverty and inequality
Single Mothers in China Move Out of the Shadows was written by Howard W. French and was published in the International Herald Tribune on April 14, 2008. This article discusses the problems single mothers in China are currently facing. Lei Gailing is a young Chinese woman fighting the parenthood battle alone. Typically in China when an unwed woman gets pregnant they marry or terminate the pregnancy. At age 33 Lei choose to do neither. Lei like many woman of her circumstance became known as a social outcast. She married an older man just to receive basic identification documents so her child could attend school and so she could receive other social services. Chinese society is very strict, until recently you could be punished officially and socially for having premarital sex. Xie Jing is also a single mother, but she has a career. Xie Jing became pregnant while engaged, after becoming pregnant they decided not to marry. She had her child in a partially foreign hospital; therefore she doesn’t have to report the birth. She tells everyone her child’s father is overseas on a three-year assignment. Unlike most women Xie has her family’s support.
Being an unwed mother is a very controversial issue is China. There are many laws set in place to discourage single parenthood. Children born out of wedlock aren’t generally allowed residency documents, so therefore they can’t attend school. This is an inequality against children who can’t help the situation in which they were born. This is very sad to see those women are still being punished for wanting to be independent.